A “culture of purpose” helps a company, writes columnist Gael O’Brien, because it “ignites the talents, aspirations and sense of service of the men and women within the organization who, by how they work together and the impact that results, have the potential to lead a company to become what it is capable of becoming.”

Christine Bader’s new book – “The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil” – chronicles her work for oil giant BP, managing the community impacts of big projects in the developing world, and her later role as an advisor to a United Nations initiative on human rights abuses linked to business. Her hope, she says in an interview, is that someday corporate idealism “doesn’t seem like the oxymoron that it does to so many people today.”

In a new book, Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey envisions a world where “one day, virtually every business will operate with a sense of higher purpose, integrate the interests of all stakeholders, elevate conscious leaders, and build a culture of trust, accountability and caring.”